(a) Technical Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a deodorant derived from a natural product, and more particularly to a deodorant useful in the food and cosmetic industries.
(b) Description of the Prior Art
Active carbon and glyoxal are known to be useful as a deodorant in a various fields. While, 3,4-dihydro-2H-pyran derivatives, amylose and sodium-acrylate-acrylamide copolymer are known to be effective as a deodorant component in cosmetics.
In the food industry however, only a few materials such as dimethyl-amino allylsulfonate, acrylamide, glucosamine and cyclodextrin (which belongs to oligosaccharide and is employed as a foul breath-extinguishing agent) are known to be useful as a deodorant.
Under such a lag in the development of deodorant which is safe and effective in the food industry, a development of a new effective deodorant is highly solicited.
In view of these circumstances, the present inventor has made a many studies with a view to develop a deodorant of natural origin, which is sufficiently safe to health so as to applicable in the fields of food, cosmetics and toiletry. Meanwhile, the present inventor has noticed that sake (refined sake, synthesized sake) or wine, which is customary added as a seasoning in cooking fish or meat, is effective in improving not only the taste thereof, but also the smell of the cooked food. The present inventor has also noticed the fact that enzymes are capable of converting a bad smelling substance into an odorless substance through a biochemical process.
Taking these phenomena and facts into account, the present inventor has investigated various substances produced and handled in the brewing industry with a view to find out any suitable substance for a deodorant. As a result of the research, the present inventor has succeeded to find out a substance having a deodorizing property which is existed in the extracts of various brewed wines. This inventor's research has further continued on the practicability and utility of the substance having such a deodorizing property. As a result, it has been found that extracts from only limited kinds of the brewed wines are useful for a deodorant, and that a deodorant substance found in unrefined sake or raochu wine is too strong in odor to use as a deodorant in general. A distilled liquor such as low-class distilled spirits and whisky has also been found to be unsuitable as a raw material.
In Japan, fish or meat is cooked by adding thereto seasonings such as miso (fermented bean paste), soy sauce, kombu (sea weed) and pieces of dried bonito. These seasonings are indeed effective in improving the taste of a cooked food owing to the amino acid components contained therein. However, it has been found by the present inventor that some of these amino acid components are effective not only in improving the taste, but also in removing a bad smell of fish and meat.
Accordingly, a many number of amino acids have been examined by the present inventor with respect to their deodorizing effects, and as a result, specific amino acids have been found to have a prominent deodorizing effect.
Further, a combination of these specific amino acids has been found to have a synergistic deodorizing effect.